Stewart: Leave off Lewis
Former world champion Jackie Stewart has come to the defence of under-fire McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton and has told the Briton's critics to ease off.Hamilton has come in for criticism after failing to score points in his past two races, while he has also picked up penalties in consecutive races - casting doubts over his title credentials.
The 23-year-old, who is competing in just his second season in Formula One, finished 10th at Magny-Cours over the weekend after being handed a 10-place grid penalty following his pit lane collision with Kimi Raikkonen at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Starting from 13th on the grid in France, Hamilton was given a drive-through penalty after being adjudged to have gained an advantage by cutting a chicane on the opening lap.
But Stewart has urged the watching world to remember how inexperienced Hamilton is, claiming the media is being far too harsh on the driver.
"Lewis Hamilton is already world-famous, thanks to the amazing opportunity he was given last year, and the incredible skill with which he took advantage of it," said Stewart in his column for the official RBS Formula One website.
"He's now experiencing both the privilege and the penalty of celebrity. He's excited the media so much, and now some people are starting to feel let down. But we should remember that Lewis has only been in F1 for fifteen months. He's not the finished article yet - and it's wrong to think that he should be.
"He might not like to hear this, but he has a fundamental lack of experience at the top of the sport. If he asked for my advice, I'd say, 'Take your time, and don't expect too much of yourself'.
"I know because I've been there myself. I had a big accident in my second year, which I was lucky to survive. Over the next few years I changed: I gained experience, which gave me knowledge, which in turn enabled me to deliver."
Stewart has also raised questions over the lack of consistency in the sport after the recent surge of punishments which have engulfed the past few races.
"We've seen a rash of penalties handed out by the FIA recently - both in the form of grid penalties and in fines," said Stewart. "There rarely seems to be any compassion or any real attempt to see the driver's side.
"The drivers are also complaining at a ten-fold increase in the cost of the super-licences which allow them to race. No one can see what they're getting in return for the extra charge, which makes it look like just another way for the FIA to raise money. I don't know of any other sport where the competitors have to pay for a licence to take part.
"You can also ask questions about the consistency with which penalties are applied. A lot of people - and not McLaren personnel - are saying that the FIA are more interested in finding faults at McLaren than at other teams.
"For example, in the French race, Kimi Raikkonen's exhaust system broke and part of it was visibly hanging off the car. Why wasn't he called into the pits to have the loose piece removed? That could have been the 'Make it happen' moment of the race.
"Eventually the loose bodywork flew off the car, which could easily have been dangerous to the public or to another driver. Some people will say that if it had happened with a McLaren, the team would have been fined."
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